I am so delighted to have stopping by today Dilys J. Carnie a wonderful friend with her latest #new #release sharing a hot, excerpt.
Her Passionate
Protector
By
Dilys J Carnie
Blurb
Her Passionate Protector by Dilys J. Carnie
When Lucy James meets
Alex Magner, the owner of a company her cleaning business has just picked up a
contract for, her quiet life flies out the window. Although she wants to keep
the man at arm’s length, she can’t deny the smoldering heat that burns every time
Alex comes near her.
Alex is confused by
this independent yet vulnerable woman, and he can’t get her off his mind. She’s
not interested in anything beyond a business relationship, but Alex is a
determined man, and he can be very convincing.
However, they have a
bumpy ride ahead. Lucy’s inner struggle with the demons of her past threatens
to destroy any chance of a future with Alex. Then her ex-husband returns,
determined to hurt her, and Alex fights for her life, and their chance at love.
Can they survive the turbulent road to happiness?
This book is a
re-issue
Content Warning: contains adult language and explicit sex
Genre(s): Contemporary
Romance
"Is it really? You don't know Pete like I do. He won't
give up, and he won't let me go."
Tears filled Lucy's eyes. Alex moved to catch them with his
thumb before they spilled over, but she moved away, put the cat back into his
arms, and continued packing her bag.
"There's a basket in the cupboard next to the
kitchen." She spoke over her shoulder.
A few minutes later, she was finished. Alex picked up her
case in one hand and carried Jack in his basket in the other.
As they went out the door, he waited while she turned and
looked into the room. "This was my first real home, somewhere that wasn't
tainted with violence. I have to put an end to this. Once and for all, I have
to stop running and face what is coming."
Alex squeezed her arm, and she looked up at him. Her eyes
were full of trust and he only hoped he could protect her enough. It wasn't
just the physical aspect, he could deal with that, it was the turmoil within
her that he was worried about.
"You won't have to do it on your own. This will be the
end of the line for him," he assured her.
* * * *
As Alex drove into an exclusive part of Chester, Lucy wasn't
at all surprised to find where he lived. His building contained high-class
apartments costing millions of pounds rather than thousands, and she had driven
past them many times. Alex stopped at the gates, typed in a number on the pad,
and the gates opened.
Jack was starting to get restless in his basket, although
they had only been traveling for about twenty minutes. Everything was surreal.
Her face throbbed despite the aspirin she had taken.
While she slept, Alex had reported the incident to the
police. Tomorrow, she would have to go make a statement. It was like reliving
the nightmare of four years ago. Now there she was again trying to cling onto
life. Oh God, I don't know if I have the strength anymore to do this.
Will he ever let me go? In her own mind she was conversing with old
demons and losing a battle she thought she had already won.
"We're here." Alex parked the car, got out, and
opened the back door. He retrieved the basket that held her beloved cat and
came around to her side where she stood waiting.
The late evening was still warm and the stars glistened in
the sky. The air was sweet, some kind of rose, she thought as she breathed in
deeply.
"I'll take you up and then come back down for the rest
of your things."
She nodded, and when he took her arm in a gentle hand, she
looked up at him and smiled. His eyes narrowed and he gently squeezed her
elbow. The slight breeze blew his hair back from his brow. He was so handsome,
gorgeous in fact, a knight in shining amour.
Smiling to herself, her thoughts went back to when she was
living in the children's home and how she always believed her knight would ride
in on his white horse and save her. Why did Alex want to do all these things
for her? Still, deep in the pit of her stomach, she had that little bit of
mistrust although she knew it was foolish. Alex was totally different from
Pete. But could it be that her judgment was at fault? Could she have misjudged
again?
As they walked to the entrance, Alex let go of her to type
in his security number. As she waited, she could see the CCTV cameras, and she
knew from the electric gates they had just come through and the guard sitting
at the desk that the apartments were well secured.
"Good evening, Mr. Magner."
"Evening, Sam. This is Miss James. She's going to be
staying with me for a while."
"Nice to meet you, Miss James." He tipped his hat.
Lucy just nodded. She was kind of gobsmacked. She hadn't
really thought about how much money Alex had, but it looked like he wasn't
short of a few pennies.
As they went up in the lift, Jack was meowing disapprovingly
at being kept in the basket and Lucy murmured softly to him. Alex didn't speak
at all, and she wondered if coming there was one big mistake she was going to
regret. The doors opened and they got out as Simon and Nic came out of the
other lift.
Nic grabbed hold of Lucy by the arms and looked at her face.
"What the hell has he done to you?" She put her arms around her and
hugged her. "The bastard! I could kill him with my own hands! I thought he
was in prison?"
"It seems they let him out early for good
behavior." Lucy laughed at the idiocy of those words, but it was an eerie
noise which sounded strange even to her own ears.
